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Residents praise pedestrian safety change and urge reopening restrooms at Sandman Park
Summary
Public commenters thanked the council for leading-pedestrian-interval timing downtown and urged officials to reopen restrooms at Sandman Park after apparent removal of portable toilets.
Two members of the public used the council’s comment period Wednesday to thank the council for a pedestrian-safety signal change downtown and to ask the city to restore restroom access at Sandman Park.
Ralph, a Ward 4 resident, said he noticed a leading pedestrian interval—a walk signal change that gives pedestrians a head start—and thanked the city for it. "These improvements are noticeable," Ralph said, citing research that leading pedestrian intervals can reduce pedestrian incidents.
Another commenter, who identified public-safety and sanitation concerns, said portable toilets at Sandman Park had been removed for about a week and described instances of people defecating and urinating in public. The commenter asked the council to reopen restrooms or return portable toilets because "kids gotta go potty. Elders gotta go potty." The speaker did not identify an affiliation beyond being a resident.
Why it matters: Public restroom availability and pedestrian-safety signal timing affect daily life in downtown and park spaces; questions about restroom access raise both sanitation and equity concerns for families and older residents.
What’s next: No staff response or timeline was given during the meeting; public comments were recorded during the public-comment period.
